HR

Report by the National Audit Office lays bare the problems facing flagship mutual - but Cabinet Office says it has taken steps to turn the situation around. Unions meanwhile welcomed the spending watchdog's findings

90% of business department's sites to close under BIS 2020 programme, says Sajid Javid, as Martin Donnelly calls decision to shut Sheffield office "one of the most difficult" of his career

Spending watchdog finds DfE has a "weak understanding" of the scale of local shortages and how to resolve them – but department says UK now has the "most highly qualified teaching workforce in history"

As Cabinet Office launches new government-wide set of commercial standards, civil service chief executive John Manzoni talks up recruitment of contract experts – and explains tricky balancing act of supporting departments "in an intelligent, helpful, and yet challenging way"

Contract renewed for two years as investigations into Libor scandals continue

National Audit Office report finds City of London Corporation, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Confederation of British Industry, and Deloitte topping list of providers of hospitality and gifts to senior officials — and calls for better central scrutiny of transparency returns

Prime minister unveils moves to scrap declaration of criminal convictions in initial application stage - as Whitehall's new chief people officer Rupert McNeil stresses that safety checks will remain in place

Proposals, which come hot on the heels of Treasury plans to curb exit pay across the public sector, have already drawn fire from the PCS, FDA and Prospect civil service unions

IPSOS Mori research finds four-point rise in those who trust civil servants to tell the truth — and strong trust among "Generation Y"

New appointments in the civil service, UK politics, and public affairs, via our colleagues on Dods People

Treasury consultation confirms plans for wide-ranging shake-up of exit terms – with the FDA union branding the proposals an "ideological attack on public servants"

Common Technology Services chief Andy Beale to become deputy CTO – as government prepares to unveil digital strategy for the next four years